Introduction
The American Revolution was one of the most influential periods of the 18th century in the history of the Unites States. During this pivotal period, Americans could secure their independence from Great Britain. They designed a revolutionary philosophy, the achievement of which is a hope and dream of millions of people throughout the world today. Despite the slavery and this form of labor, dominating in society, patriots fought for their higher ideals and eventually gained the freedom, liberty, and equality.
Body
Before the American Revolution (1775-1783), wealthy landowners and merchants dominated in society and politics (Anderson, 2002). Laborers and farmers could vote if they owned property, whereas women, in particular, had no political power (Anderson, 2002). Property owners enslaved thousands of black people. American patriots decided to end discrimination, which took a violent and bloody civil war. The United States Declaration of Independence, adopted in 1776, outlined all the goals and purposes of American Revolution and patriots who supported it (Anderson, 2002).
Firstly, public-spirited people who led this Revolution fought for American independence from Great Britain (Morton, 2003). Immediately in advance of independence, the thirteen British North American colonies comprised the present-day United States (Morton, 2003). They expressed solidarity only with their colonies and England. The only thing that provided the sense of unanimity among them was the common commercial ties with Great Britain. The steps towards American independence brought up an issue of defining who genially wanted it and the U.S. Declaration of Independence gave a radical answer to this identity crisis (Morton, 2003). It stated that people from all walks of lives, in spite of their gender, race, ethnicity and abilities comprised the United States of America who wanted changes. It resulted in a process that finally made North and South Carolinians, New Yorkers, Georgians, Virginians, Connecticuters, and other colonists into Americans (Morton, 2003). However, it required long and exhausting fighting and experience of a war against Great Britain that eventually forged reasonable sense of collective patriotism and identity for the better part of Americans.
Secondly, the U.S. people aimed at creating self-assessment inside their country. The Declaration of Independence marked out the causes for the uprising. For instance, they included long-term insults and illegal seizure of the law, taxation policy, and solutions of their discontentment (Morton, 2003). The Declaration stated that the oppressive domination run by the Crown over all thirteen colonies forced people to change the previous Governmental system into self-regulation (Morton, 2003). However, people did not know what would this self-governance be or how would it work.
Moreover, Americans claimed that England abandoned any laws with their oppressive domination. The U.S. patriots required security of equal rights for all people in the U.S. under the legislation. The Declaration also included the statement that all people were born equal (Morton, 2003). However, colonists have always felt themselves as equal to the British citizens. Finally, the Parliament enacted a law that violated the inherent rights of the colonists. Their dissatisfaction and attempts to change this legislation were unsuccessful. Thus, independent USA paid a high price in order to emphasize the significance of civil rights and the supremacy of law.
The American Revolution also aimed at creating a nation that could be equal to the European ones, including Spain, France, and the Dutch Republic (Morton, 2003). These countries became America’s alliances that helped it to win the war. According to the new legislation, the USA finally had a chance to stop their trade exclusively with Great Britain and sought the trading networks in the Mediterranean.
Finally, American patriots fought for the revolutionary principles, which eventually led them to the era of equality and freedom. The enormous number of American leaders, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, were hoping that this Revolution would never start again (Morton, 2003). They believed that people who feel oppression around the globe should require respect to their dignity and individual rights.
Thus, the American Revolution created a new nation that is the United States of America. Due to the Treaty of Paris, the colonies became independent from Great Britain (Mercer & Beckett, 2003). England lost all the colonies in the former America and the USA replaced a monarchy with a republic. It became a federation, which changed dictatorship into the democracy. People consider the USA as the first democratic federal republic in the world (Mercer & Beckett, 2003).
The American Revolution resulted in the abolishment of the slavery in the northern states. However, according to the new Constitution, the government had no power to end slavery in other states. There is no doubt that those states did not want to do it themselves. Thousands of free patriots started to act against slavery within the borders of the USA. Despite all the attempts of people to fight it, by 1800, there were still more than a thousand slaves in Connecticut (Mercer & Beckett, 2003).
Notwithstanding all the efforts made during the American Revolution, slavery expanded in fast pace between 1790 and 1860 (Mercer & Beckett, 2003). It increased from eight hundred thousand in 1790 to approximately four million in 1860 (Mercer & Beckett, 2003). The steady growth of slavery was during the antebellum period. At that time, people created their sense of community, supported each other, and developed system of moral values. For instance, they expressed them through songs, folk tales, family network and religion. During the periods of an early republic and antebellum, slave resistance continued to grow. It ranged from labor slow-down, illness simulations, to flights and even revolt.
Conclusion
Overall, the insurrections have not stopped with the end of American Revolution. Even though American gained its freedom from Great Britain, people have not achieved it inside the borders of their native country. An enormous number of Americans still suffered from discrimination. For long eight years, the patriots who supported American Revolution fought vigorously against the slavery. However, the early republic and antebellum periods witnessed its expansion.